A/N: Again, a reminder that this fic is rated M (hopefully not too graphic though) so read at your own discretion.


"Hashirama-sama," a mousy haired man wearing the Senju samurai attire said as he entered the audience chamber. "Your daughter is here to see you and she has guests accompanying her."

The long, dark haired Senju Lord cupped his chin within his hand and nodded his approval of their audience. "Let her in."

A blonde woman, who wore her hair in loose twin ponytails, entered behind the attendant. Her silver haired hermit associate and female apprentice followed behind her with the tail end of the group consisting of the Haruno couple along with the three Mugihara cattle drivers.

"Tsuna!" The Senju Lord's dark eyes lit up jubilantly. "It's been so long! And you brought friends!"

Tsunade's redheaded mother clasped her hands together. "Oh, how we've missed you!"

"Tou-san…Kaa-san…" Tsunade bowed her head slightly, demonstrating her deference to her highly esteemed parents. "I come before you seeking your help. The people among me are from the Haruno clan and the Mugihara village."

The legendary doctor gestured for the Haruno clan leader to step forwards. Kizashi cleared his throat and began solemnly, "Senju Hashirama, we stand before you humbly requesting your assistance. For we are simply peasants who have struggled in these times of peril only for our efforts to be rendered feudal…"

"Feudal…?" the Senju Lord interjected, raising a sole, skeptical eyebrow.

An unnerving silence befell the audience chamber as Tsunade's guests exchanged hesitant glances, unsure of how the Haruno clan leader would respond to the sternness that had overcome the Senju Lord's visage.

Kizashi swallowed forcefully and uttered meekly, correcting himself, "…Futile."

The Senju Lord suddenly gripped a hand to his belly and let out a hearty bout of laughter. "Ah, I get it!"

Kakashi shot a baffled glance to Jiraiya who, in return, answered with a shrug of his shoulders. Mito glimpsed to her guffawing husband and then to her scarlet faced daughter folding her arms firmly beneath her large bust.

It seems like Tou-san hasn't changed one bit…Tsunade thought to herself as her father's robust laughter continued to resonate off the walls of the audience chamber.

"For god's sake, Kizashi!" Mebuki snapped at her husband, causing him to cower before her. "This is a serious situation! We didn't come here to make the Senju Lord laugh!"

"Forgive me but I just can't help the way I talk. I swear it was accentdental!" The dull pink haired man waved his hands nervously.

The Senju Lord's laughter suddenly escalated, provoking an exasperated scowl from his daughter while the rest of the occupants writhed in sheer mortification, taken aback by his unexpected reaction.

"This is no laughing matter!" Tsunade bellowed furiously, casting an abrupt silence within the room. Hashirama ceased his laughter and awaited his daughter's further words with attentive ears. "The Haruno clan and Mugihara villagers come before you because they have been beset with tragedy as a result of this war with the Uchiha. The Uchiha clan has invaded both of their villages and kidnapped their healers."

"In their desperation to gain the upper hand in the war, the Uchiha have been arbitrarily pillaging villages in search of anyone who has healing skills," Hashirama remarked objectively.

Kakashi boldly stepped forward. "The Uchiha came to our village specifically demanding Nohara Rin. I don't know who informed them of her healing talents, but their arrival was certainly not arbitrary."

"They somehow knew my daughter was one of Tsunade's disciples!" Mebuki said emphatically. "They destroyed our well and kidnapped us as hostages in order to lure my daughter out of hiding! If it weren't for these courageous cattle drivers here we would've been executed!"

Tsunade's liquid amber eyes narrowed suspiciously as she turned to the Haruno clanswoman. "How did they find out Sakura was one of my disciples? Such information should've never reached Uchiha ears. The peasant clans I've frequented with her under my guidance would've never disclosed any kind of information to the likes of the Uchiha. Are there any enemies to your clan who would've done so?"

Mebuki shook her head denying Tsunade's inquiry. "No, not that I'm aware of. We have good rapport amongst the other neighboring clans so I doubt any of them would've betrayed us. Outside of them, I'm not aware of anyone else who would've known."

Tsunade's eyes flittered accusingly to Jiraiya. The hermit shook his head insistently. "Don't look at me! I don't talk about your students!"

"Keep in mind that even an ally could've revealed information if they were threatened by the Uchiha. Judging by the clan's stark brutality, it wouldn't surprise me if that was the case," Kakashi stated as Gai and Lee nodded agreeably behind him.

Tsunade forced a drawn out sigh. "Regardless of how they found out we have to focus on how to rescue them along with the other people they have abducted. I've already lost my brother and Dan because of this war. I don't want to see any more innocent people dragged into it."

"Dan? Kato Dan?" Mebuki asked curiously, stroking the ridge of her jaw. "I used to pawn off jewelry at his shop in Akagane."

"Yes. He was a merchant but he was also my fiancé. Even though he was of a lower caste, my father approved of our engagement but then…" Crestfallen, Tsunade's voice delicately trailed off.

Shizune spoke up to fill in for her mentor, "Dan was also my uncle. After he had closed up shop for the night, he overheard members of the Uchiha clan discussing how they would target the Senju medics. Before he could head off to warn Tsunade, the Uchiha discovered that he had been eavesdropping and killed him…"

"Please, Tou-san!" Tsunade shouted imploringly as her eyes assumed a glossy sheen. "You have to end this war! I can't bear to lose any more of those dear to me!"

"Tsuna," Hashirama uttered placidly. "I want nothing more than to abolish this antiquated system and unite the clans into one nation. I have been working tirelessly to negotiate a truce with Madara, however, he has adamantly refused to compromise or show any signs of relenting. He is firmly opposed to any notion of change and strictly believes that the current system should be preserved. But there was a time he used to share my same vision. He once was a kind man who wanted nothing more than peace across the lands. It wasn't until his brother…"

"Hashirama!" a silver haired man thundered as he burst through the door of the audience chamber. He closed the door behind him and locked his red eyes with the Senju Lord's dark ones. "Take into consideration the people you are speaking to! While you may still be attached to your prior memories of Madara these people have known nothing but heartache and tragedy caused by his lust for battle."

"I am aware of that, Tobirama," Hashirama retorted as his younger brother approached the guests.

"I was informed that one slave in particular was branded with an incredibly powerful seal that has been used to torture the subject in question." Tobirama halted and folded his arms against his chest.

"A seal? How do you know of this?"

"I have informants within the Uchiha clan," Tobirama answered, eliciting shock from the rest of the occupants within the chamber.

Hashirama exclaimed loudly, "What? You never informed me of this?!"

"I have informants of various clans and castes reporting to me regularly. One of which—Jiraiya…" Tobirama turned his attention to the hermit. "…was a student of yours—a peasant with enough talent to blend into the nobles and pass himself off as a Senju."

"You have peasants posing as nobles?! Tobirama, I want to create peace among the castes not further conflict!" Hashirama buried his face within the palm of his hand and shook his head disapprovingly.

"Quiet, Hashirama! Without that spy we would've been dealing with a violent revolt by the peasant villages. He was able to reinforce our comradeship with the Uzumaki clan as well. But, enough about that. These peasants come before us, because collectively they don't harness the power to oppose the Uchiha. If we allow this crisis to continue affecting the innocent who have been dragged into our war, the peasants will decry our lack of responsiveness and accuse us of facilitating the Uchiha's actions. This will only exacerbate the tension between the castes. The only way to stop the Uchiha at once is to cripple them from the inside out."

"You seem quite confident of this. Do you have a plan?" Kakashi inquired, adjusting his conical straw hat.

"The Uchiha rely heavily on their healers and without them they will quickly find themselves fighting a losing battle. I have been collaborating with my Uchiha informants as to the best way to quickly and safely remove their captives from the compound." Tobirama paused for a moment before his deep voice deadpanned. "If Madara wishes to hold onto his captives, then let it be his downfall…"


Sakura sat against the freezing concrete wall of an enclosed and windowless cell within the prison. She sat and waited for what seemed like an eternity within the cell, reluctant to endure any future interactions with the Uchiha clansmen. She repeatedly mulled over numerous excuses she could employ to lessen her sentence for pummeling the Uzumaki woman, but part of her feared that her words would simply prove futile. Although she had healed the laceration on her forehead from the Uzumaki's flower pot, the dried blood and dirt encrusted her skin, causing her face to feel uncomfortably rigid. She yearned to splash water onto her face from the nearest spigot once she left the prison.

If she ever left the prison…

When she heard the heavy metal door creak partially open, she snapped up to her feet, anticipating one of the Uchiha guardsmen to deliver her punishment. When the Uchiha Lord entered her cell instead, she withered in sheer terror of what was to come. He was still dressed in the lavish silk robes from the festival piquing both her curiosity and fear.

How long had she been detained? Were the Uzumaki still here? Just how would he punish her for her retaliation against the Uzumaki woman?

Sakura's survival instincts urged her repeat her prior actions and remain defiantly silent as Madara approached her. She pursed her lips firmly and let her eyes descend to the floor in an attempt to ignore his presence. It had seemingly worked once before.

Madara's deep black eyes narrowed, noticing her intent to avoid him just as she had done at his house. Even in her present situation, the girl would continue to demonstrate her defiance and yet it did not rile him. He could easily solicit a response from her, regardless of her determination to ignore him.

"You will not ignore me!" He pressed a harsh hand against the wall beside her face bringing him to an uncomfortably close proximity.

Sakura let out a not-so restrained gasp, feeling trapped between the wall and his unwelcome closeness. Fretfully, she sought the quickest defense her tongue could churn out. "About the Uzumaki woman, I…"

"Frankly, I could care less about the Uzumaki woman. She's Sasuke's problem now," he said gripping the tip of her chin, holding her head painfully still.

If he hadn't arrived to punish her for her assault on the Uzumaki woman, then…

She gathered chakra to the ridge of her hands, transforming the scalpels she typically used for medical procedures into an improvised weapon. Normally, such a technique would not prove effective for combat due to the extraordinary level of precision required to apply it offensively. However, his close proximity ensured that she could at least immobilize her target with a single blow.

Noting the emergent chakra radiating within her tiny hands, he seized her wrists and slammed them into the wall. Sakura barely managed to shriek as his brute force nearly winded her. Frantically, she racked her brain for any means of fending him off, merely for her search to turn up blank. He was far too close to ram him with her knee and he had pinned her wrists against the wall at each side of her head.

Her eyes shot open as he forced his lips against hers in a suffocating manner. Unable to grapple with his overwhelming strength, she clamped her teeth down on his bottom lip, denying him the opportunity to further explore her mouth. He instantly withdrew from the kiss, enabling her a moment to catch her breath. Initially, she glared at him with fury flaring in her bright green orbs. The fury reflected within her eyes was quickly supplanted by raw fear. She trembled in his hold, deeply afraid of how he would retaliate.

Licking away the blood that trickled from his bitten lip, he smirked. "Are you a woman or an animal?"

The girl merely scowled at him, irked by the question she had been derisively asked on more than one occasion. He was well aware that his words would rekindle her anger and relished the savage look marking her grimy face. Even with the thick layer of dirt and blood caked to her skin, he found himself completely captivated by the sight of her—a true testament of her beauty.

Bringing her wrists together, he pinned them above her head and gripping them with a single hand in order to free his other hand.

"Please…" she whimpered, turning her head to the side as he closed in any remaining gaps, leaving her crammed between his body and the wall. When she felt his arousal brushing against her thigh, she desperately sought for any means of thwarting him. "I'll scream and…"

"You're currently within a soundproof holding cell. No one will hear you." Madara scoffed at her pitiful attempt at creating a threat. "Besides, who are you expecting to come to your aid? I'm curious to know."

He waited for a moment for her answer and quickly lost his patience in her fearful silence. His tongue traced the supple skin of her neck as his free hand slipped stealthily underneath the hem of her robes. Sakura held her breath and scolded herself for her useless attempt at threatening him. A small part of her had hoped that he could be deterred from sexually assaulting her if the guards outside her cell heard her screams. Deep down, she knew that the hardboiled prison guards would likely ignore her screams even if they did hear her. If the cell was soundproof, then it was evident it had been designed for the sole purpose of torturing detainees.

She squeezed her eyelids closed, forcibly evicting the tears that had welled up inside them as he ran his hand up her thigh in his lustful fervor. She heard him grunt sharply, followed by the feeling of a warm liquid trickling onto her thigh. He wrenched his impaled hand out from underneath her robes and held it before his face to examine the deep gash within the palm of his hand.

"A concealed weapon," he said with a slight laugh, eyeing the flow of blood running down the length of his forearm.

While he was distracted, she managed to wrench one arm free and draw the kunai that had been strapped to her upper thigh. Before she could even devise a plan of action with the weapon, he gripped her wrist and twisted it harshly against its axis, loosening her hold of the kunai. "If you believe you can take me out with a mere kunai you're gravely—"

As her fingers unraveled from the handle of the kunai, the Uchiha Lord's dark eyes widened in shock, noticing the distinct markings engraved onto the weapon. His eyes instantly flashed red, which closely matched the bright red hue of his face. "How? How did you get this!"

Sakura quailed before him, shrinking down the side of the wall. "I don't know…"

He hissed as his Sharingan began to assume a more intricate patterning, "You will tell me one way or another!"

"I found it!" she cried out, hoping for a minute chance that she could convince him with a lie.

"Lies!"

Sakura braced herself for the imminent agony she would suffer upon the seal's activation. Even with her anticipation, she found herself ill-prepared in the face of the Uchiha Lord's immense power as her entire body rippled with a level of pain she had yet to experience. She immediately collapsed to the ground, sobbing and screaming hysterically as she was unable to endure another second of the pain that had greatly outmatched even that of Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan. She prayed that she would be rendered unconscious before he could receive the opportunity to interrogate her.

However, she could not afford to withstand yet another moment of this inconceivable pain and feared he would gain control of her faster than she could fall unconscious.

"The initial pain you are feeling is your body fighting the projection of my chakra into your seal," she barely heard his words beneath her screaming fit.

Even if what he said was true, she could never control her body's urge to fight the seal's activation no matter who utilized it. In her sessions with Itachi, she had always felt the pain of the seal's activation even though she willingly allowed him to use the seal. It was purely involuntary.

Knowing her body would soon fall victim to his ocular power, she willed herself to fight it. She absolutely could not permit herself to reveal anything about the two Uchiha who had been aiding her to the extent of treason. She had to evict him from her mind before she could unwittingly bring peril upon Itachi and Shisui, even at the expense of her pain.

Madara furrowed his brow, watching the girl suddenly fall flaccid and cease her agonized screaming.

Had she fallen unconscious?

He internally chastised himself for employing the highest level of his Sharingan on the girl in his broiling rage. Using his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan on a mere peasant was overkill and he knew that she would likely pass out before he could interrogate her through the seal. Nevertheless, a curious part of him had eagerly wished to see her combat it.

Disappointed, he sighed wearily and gazed down at the unresponsive girl lying on the floor. Before he could terminate his use of the seal, he witnessed an ethereal presence materialize before his flabbergasted eyes.

"Shannaro!" An apparition of the girl suddenly decked him square in the chest.

He staggered backward from the unexpected blow that had forcibly ended his reign over the seal. The girl's eyelids fluttered open as if she had returned to life. Madara planted his feet firmly within the ground, halting his backward momentum while the girl scrambled to her hands and knees.

He touched his bloodied hand to his chest where he had received the blow and began chuckling lightly to himself. Sakura recoiled frightfully as the Uchiha Lord suddenly erupted into unbridled, maniacal laughter. With large, bewildered eyes, she remained frozen in a vulnerable kneeling position, watching the Uchiha as his wild laughter reverberated off the walls of the cell. Pale, red splotches of sweat and diluted blood dripped from her brow onto the ground around her spread fingers.

After his laughter slowly dissipated, he set his sights back to the girl and spoke casually, "So that's how it was done…a second soul."

Sakura's blood ran ice cold as though she had just been caught red-handed committing an elaborate crime.

"A second soul that can manifest at will in order to drive intruders from the mind. I can only assume the clan's overindulgent use of the seal has likely strengthened this soul, ironically allowing you to become resistant to the Sharingan." He advanced on her with a pensive look on his face. "But, opposing the heightened power of the Mangekyou Sharingan is impossible. That is, unless you've been repeatedly exposed to one."

He towered over the kneeling girl, gazing down upon the circular mark on the back of her neck. "Just when I believe I have finally perfected the seal, you suddenly expose the flaws of my work."

Sakura lifted her head, although she avoided his gaze.

"I created that seal as the prototype of a jutsu I have been researching—a justu I seek to one day cast upon this world. I initially branded Senju prisoners of war with this seal as a means of experimentation. However, they were unable to tolerate the seal and eventually committed suicide before I could test its limits. I never imagined a mere peasant to resist it nor did I expect to discover that more than one user can cancel out its effects. But, now since I am able to observe and address its flaws, I can finally take the steps necessary to achieve my vision."

"What do you mean?" Sakura breathed shakily, hoisting herself to her feet.

"Hashirama seeks to unite all of the clans as one nation with the belief that it will finally bring peace to the lands. However, he doesn't realize that doing so will only breed more conflict instead of resolving it. He probably believes I want to uphold the caste system for the mere sake of preserving conflict. Even if the caste system were to be abolished, it will always remain in place due to the distinct imbalance of power between the clans. The weak will ways live in fear of those with power and the powerful will always look down upon the weak. It is simply natural law. People will seek conflict no matter what. They will never live together in peace because they will never easily forget the loss of those who have been slain by the people who were once their enemies. Conflict will continue to ensue whether it is between those of different castes, between those of the same caste, and even amongst those of the same clan."

He paused for a moment. "You probably believe you are the only one to have suffered great injustices because you are of the lower caste while I live a comfortable life here at the top. I have lost all of my close family members as a result of this war."

"I once possessed a gold chain that had been given to me by my father but that precious treasure was unjustly taken away from me. Generations of my family's history stolen by that despicable mother of yours and for what? The fleeting satisfaction of trading it for money!" he roared, inciting the girl to flinch in alarm. Somberness overtook his voice as he touched his fingertips to the corner of his eye. "These eyes…these are the eyes of my brother. One of the few reminders that remain of him…"

Her dampened robes clung tightly to her petite frame as sweat continued to run down her brow and sting her eyes. She blinked repeatedly and was unable to smear the irritating droplets away with her arm in her petrified state.

Madara raised the kunai he had seized from her before his face as a profound sadness filled his deep red eyes. It was the trademark tool of the loathsome bastard who had claimed his younger brother's life with his teleportation jutsu. Such a kunai could've never turned up within the Uchiha compound by mere coincidence and he knew that Sakura probably would've disregarded the weapon if she did stumble across it given her heavy reliance on her immense strength. It was more likely someone from within had deliberately armed the girl with the intent of either launching a surprise attack on the clan or wresting her away from him. He figured there were probably more of his kunai hidden elsewhere within the compound.

She gasped noisily as he pulled her into his chest and muttered wistfully, "Never again…that bastard…"

What bastard? Just who was he referring to?

Baffled by his words, she remained both silent and motionless within his firm embrace.

Never again…he told himself as he clutched the bewildered girl against his chest. That bastard will never take anyone away from me again. If he seeks to take her away, then let it be his downfall…

He caressed the seal on her neck when an ingenious idea flashed within his mind. His sorrow was readily replaced by a triumphant satisfaction as he loaded chakra into his fingertips.

She cried sharply as a stabbing pain shot through her neck. She nearly buckled in his hold and gazed up at him with tearful eyes. "What did you do to me?!"

"I made a slight adjustment to your seal."

She sobbed knowing that he likely quashed the hopeful flaws of the seal she and the other two Uchiha had put their faith into exploiting.

"Sakura, you will not cry," he said sternly, although it did not assuage her sorrow to the slightest. "I am not your enemy."

Not her enemy?! She gnashed her teeth and flashed him a hostile glare of disapproval in response to his fallacious claim.

He smirked haughtily. "You don't believe me? If you did return to that peasant village of yours, do you honestly believe you could easily return to your previous life of ignorance? Do you believe you can simply forget everything you have witnessed of the world outside your village?"

"I don't follow," she gritted through her tears.

"You have saved the lives of the people you deem your enemy. You didn't have to save that baby and yet you did at the cost of your own pain. Would you be capable of turning your hands against the people you nursed to health?"

Sakura dropped her gaze, dodging his deep crimson eyes as he awaited her reply.

"Well?" he pressed her.

Yet again, she answered his question with silence.

"You don't have an answer because you hold two contradictory views of the Uchiha. But this world of inconsistencies…" He pressed his lips against the circular mark on her neck. "I will be the one to fix it."

Trepidation returned to her as he resumed his lustful expedition of her body. He slipped his hand beneath the opening of her robe, grasping for her right breast. Every fiber of her being opposed his invasive touch as she writhed in his hold and curled away from his hands.

He murmured within her ear, groping her supple tissue, "Stay by my side and…"

Madara paused as a loud knock echoed off the door. Reluctantly, he parted from the girl and answered the door. He snarled sourly, "What?"

"My deepest apologizes for interrupting, Madara-sama…" A guard appeared behind the door, lowering his head ruefully. "I regret to inform you that your house is on fire."

"What?!" The Uchiha Lord's red eyes widened in sheer disbelief. He turned back to the girl and delivered his strict orders. "You will remain here until I return, understand?"

Sakura nodded feebly and watched the Uchiha Lord leave her cell. The door shut with a heavy slam, leaving her desolate. Although her isolation granted her a momentary sense of relief, she knew the Uchiha Lord would return at any time.

She reflected on his convoluted words, unable to comprehend how her seal could be the prototype for a jutsu to achieve his vision. Based on what she pieced together from his words, he desired to fix the injustices of the world—or something along those lines—though she wasn't exactly sure as to how a seal used to torture and control people could contribute to this by any stretch of the imagination.

He had confiscated the kunai that inexplicably triggered his rage whilst only provoking her confusion as to why Shisui had given it to her in the first place. How would it have saved her life as he had so confidently claimed?

She sat down, tucking her knees into herself as she wondered what Itachi and Shisui were doing. She prayed that somehow the two Uchiha could heroically whisk her away from her imprisonment, but knew that, realistically, they could do nothing for her. Even with Madara gone, there were still guards monitoring her cell and they would risk exposing their treasonous activities if they set foot within the prison to come to her rescue.

Then her thoughts settled on Sasuke who had taken her to the summit of the forest instead of bringing her in to be interrogated. Had he defied orders for her sake? Considering her current situation, she found herself garnering a whole new level of appreciation for the enigmatic Uchiha's actions although she was still befuddled as to the reasoning behind his kiss.

The heavy door creaked open loudly, startling the girl who had become entirely immersed in thought. When a large masculine hand pulled the door open, her heart sank, instinctively knowing the Uchiha Lord had likely returned.

To her surprise, she realized that the Uchiha entering her cell was not Madara.

To her dismay, she recognized the long straight hair and rat-like face of the man who had invaded her village.

It was Inabi.


A/N: While there may be some concepts that echo the manga, this fic is still an AU so not everything will directly follow the manga of course. That being said, while there may be borrowed elements of the Moon's Eye Plan in this story, the bijuu, Juubi, and Kaguya will not be in this fic.

And apparently both Madara and Sakura bite people's arms in combat. Manga fact. Who would've known…o.O

Well, thanks again for reading and please remember to review!